Junko Enoshima- The Ultimate Lucky Student
by ExtraSavoirFaire
Summary: It's the first Dangan Ronpa game, but with everyone's title switched around. In this Alternate Universe type setting, Junko Enoshima is the protagonist. Follow her as she goes through the trials and tribulations present at Despair Academy. The friends and enemies she makes will either help or hinder her progress in this re-imagining of the Classic Game.
1. Prologue

Note: As is customary, I will note that I own nothing that is seen in this story. I own neither the characters nor the setting. I simply wish to elucidate others on a re-imagining of the regular story in a way I felt was quite interesting. 

_The massive high school towers over all the other buildings in this bustling urban area. It's like the school stands at the center of the entire world. _

_Hope's Peak Academy... _

_It brings in top students from every field imaginable. A government funded school of privilege. They say that if you come here and manage to graduate, you'll be set for life. With hundreds of years of tradition, it sends the cream of the crop into the workforce every year. It was built to raise hope in the nation's future… Which makes Hope's Peak a pretty fitting name._

_There are two things you need to attend this school:_

_One: You have to already be attending high school._

_Two: You have to be the very best at what you do._

_No ordinary student could enroll here. The only way in is if you're scouted by the school itself. And standing at the gate of the ultimate school filled with ultimate students… was me._

_Before we continue, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Junko Enoshima. As far as anyone else is concerned, I'm nothing but your hopelessly average high school student. Average on the outside, average on the inside. I really don't have much going for me when it comes to grades, special abilities, personality, or anything else, really. That's not to say I don't have hobbies and stuff I like to do, it's just that if you asked me what my favorite song or movie was, it would just be whatever's most popular at the time. But even then, I suppose I'm more average than your average person if that makes sense, so I can't really say I'm your 'everyday' type of girl. That's just who I am, I guess. Anyway, I figure it's a good thing to introduce yourself right away. But if I had to say what my best quality is… I guess I'm a bit more optimistic than most people. I mean, I am completely ordinary, but still… Here I am, standing in front of the anything but ordinary Hope's Peak Academy._

"I still can't believe I'm standing here…" I muse to myself. "I wonder if someone like me can even survive in a place like this…"

_It's got this overwhelming presence… like it's trying to swallow me whole. But it's no wonder I would feel that way. But, for the sake of not blowing things out of proportion, let me tell you about the 'preparations' I did yesterday to get myself ready for this._

_Hope's Peak only invites those students who are truly elite in their field. In fact, the students themselves are so popular that there are even online threads dedicated to them! So in order to prepare, I looked up some of those threads. Every single person mentioned in these threads was an 'ultimate' in some way; way beyond the level of your average high schooler. For example, one incoming student is known as the Ultimate Pop Sensation. I hear she's a high school girl who's the lead singer for a famous idol group. There's also the Ultimate Baseball Star. He was the ace pitcher and cleanup hitter for the national high school champs. He's already being scouted for the pro leagues. Then there's the Ultimate Fashionista. She's been on the cover of tons of fashion magazines. I know my friends and I spent countless hours trying to follow her footsteps in the world of fashion. There's even an Ultimate Biker Gang Leader too. The scary thing is, she's the de facto leader of the largest biker gang in the country… apparently she's feared and revered by gangs everywhere. There's also the Ultimate Martial Artist, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, the Ultimate Gambler, the Ultimate Swimming Pro, the Ultimate Programmer, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, the Ultimate…. I think you get the idea._

_Going through all of that made me feel really small and powerless… It truly was the country's finest, top to bottom. I felt like a house cat who'd wandered into a pride of lions… But still, there was something I couldn't stop thinking about. There were a few students who I couldn't find anything about. With all those ultimate students, I'm the only one without any kind of worthwhile talent. But what about those students I couldn't find any info on… Could they be average students like me? That's kind of encouraging to think about, though I doubt it's actually true. But there's an issue beyond that… How did an average student like me get picked to come to this ultimate high school? To answer that, you only need to look at the acceptance letter they sent me. It said, "we recently held a lottery to select one ordinary student to attend our school. As a result, you have been selected, and we invite you to join as the Ultimate Lucky Student." They spelled it out plain as day- I got invited by pure luck. The more I think about it, I feel I probably would have been better off declining their offer. But after hearing how graduating was 'guaranteed success,' I just couldn't say no._

_But then, actually standing there in front of the school… I started to feel lost, like I didn't belong there. I could feel myself losing my nerve._

"But I can't just stand here in front of the gate forever…" I say to myself, staring at the acceptance letter I held in my hands. "There's a meeting in the main hall at 8 a.m. for all incoming students... " I glance at my watch. 7:10 a.m. it says. The meeting isn't for a while… but I steel myself and head in. "Yeah…" I say, mustering all of my strength and resolve. "Let's do this!" As I walk in, I see that I'm the only one there. "Well there's almost an hour until we're supposed to meet… I guess it makes sense that I'm the only one here." I shouldn't just stand around, waiting. I decide to take a look around the school, thinking it would help me calm down. I mean am technically a student now, so there shouldn't be any problem, right? I take my first few steps, to my new life at my new school… but the instant I take that step forward… My view became warped and twisted. It was like some kind of delusion, melting and mixing together into something else… and in the next moment… Everything went black. That's how it all started… And how life as I knew it came to an end. At that point, I should have realized... the reason I was brought to Hope's Peak Academy wasn't because I had Ultimate Good Luck… It was so I could experience the Ultimate Despair.


	2. Chapter 1- The Introductions

"...nng…" I groan as my consciousness gradually returns to me. I woke up with my head resting on top of a hard, wooden desk. I feel… heavy. It's pretty normal for me to zone out in the middle of a boring class, but… What was I doing asleep just now? In fact, I've never even been in this classroom before. "What's going on…?" I say aloud. Before I do anything else, I notice some kind of cheap-looking pamphlet with something written on it…

It reads, "The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world."

"... Is this some kind of joke?" I ask. I glance at my watch to check the time… Only to realize that it's not there. "...the hell?" Did I lose my watch somewhere…? I look toward the clock hanging above the front of the room. It's already 8… It was just after 7 when I got here. Has an hour really passed? I look out the window… Or at least I tried to. All the windows in the classroom were covered by some metal plates and bolted shut. It almost feels… like a prison. I try to play back recent events in my mind. I walked into Hope's Peak, passed out, and then woke up in this classroom… which must mean that I am inside Hope's Peak Academy. But if that's true… then what's up with the windows? This just raises too many questions. "I should probably head back to the main hall," I decide. "It's past the meeting time, so everyone else probably showed up by now. As I leave the classroom to get to the main hall, I keep getting this weird vibe throughout the whole place... It just feels like everything is getting stranger by the second. By the time I got to the main hall everyone else was already there.

"What, another one?" someone said.

"Huh?" I ask. "So then that means…"

"Yeah, we're all new here," someone else said. "Today's supposed to be our first day here.

"So counting her, that makes sixteen.," said another voice. "Seems like a pretty weird cutoff number to me, but I wonder if this is everyone…" So standing in front of me was the cast of Ultimate Students, hand picked by the school. I look around at everyone, taking in their faces one at a time. Maybe I'm just imagining it, but I swear that it feels like all of them are emitting some kind of aura…"

"Um… Hi," I say, a bit intimidated by all of these Ultimates. "My name's Junko Enoshima. Sorry for being late… A bunch of stuff happened and all of I sudden I was just… asleep."

"Woah, you too?"

"This just keeps getting stranger and stranger…"

"So strange… This situation is strange beyond a shadow of a doubt, indeed!"

"Um… what are you talking about?" I ask. "I honestly have no clue what's going on right now.

"Just a moment. There is something else we must address. Junko! Your tardiness is unacceptable! Surely you were aware that the meeting was to start at 8 a.m. sharp! To be late on your first day is unspeakable! I must report you, and you must accept your due punishment!"

"What's your deal? It's not like she wanted to be late."

"Everyone calm down! How about we all go around and introduce ourselves?"

"The hell? Now's not the time for fuckin' introductions!"

"Maybe, but I think it would be best for us all to get acquainted before we tackle the bigger problems here. I mean, how are we supposed to talk to each other if we don't know everyone's name?"

"That's a good point."

"Okay, so before anything else, we'll introduce ourselves, then?" I'm still totally lost, but everyone decided to have introductions. I think it's best to just focus on getting to know each other first. I guess this is the best chance for this. I already looked up everyone online, but I still don't know what kind of people they are. I'm kind of scared, but also really excited. Time to get started… I start by talking to this really… pudgy guy. Upon closer inspection… He kind of looks like a gopher. "Hi," I say to him, hesitating a bit.

"Ah, so you decided to talk to me first!" he said. "Yes, I know I tend to have that effect on women, but I must inform you, you are not my type."

"...What?"

"But do not fret! I shall grant you the honor of knowing my name and title. I am… Hifumi Yamada! But you may choose to call me by my nickname, 'The Alpha and the Omega!" I do not mind. I am, in fact, the Ultimate Programmer!"

"It's… nice to meet you," I manage to say. He certainly has… a character about him.

"Now I must ask, how much do you know of the world of 2D?"

"2...D?"

"Yes, yes, 2D! I'm talking about anime, manga, the works!"

"I… can't say I'm too well versed in that."

"Ah, no matter. I was simply curious. I do know that there is an Ultimate Fanfic Creator among us, and they must certainly share my interests! I was just wondering if everyone else did as well."

"So you are a programmer, then?"

"Quite! I daresay the best! I've been messing around with computers since I was a but a child! In fact, it wouldn't be too off base to say I was born with a laptop in my hands!" He laughed as he told me this. "But, those are stories for another time. You have other people to introduce yourself to." He dismissed me to go talk to the others. Letting him go about his business, I started talking to the next person: A tall guy with red hair and a lot of piercings. He… looks kind of like a punk.

"Yo!" He greeted with a smile. "The name's Leon Kuwata. What's up?" Leon Kuwata… That name rings a few bells. If I recall correctly… he is the Ultimate Gambler…

"Huh?" I gasped in surprise.

"Huh?" He looked at me inquisitively.

"Y-You're the Ultimate Gambler?"

"The one and only!" He said proudly.

"You look a lot… different than I expected."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he said a bit sheepishly. "But that really helps when it comes to gambling. One's appearance is crucial to the game, you know. You gotta be looking at them the whole time, and it's to your advantage if you can throw 'em off by that alone."

"I see…"

"But can I be real for a sec?"

"...Sure…?" I say, a bit taken aback.

"I'm actually not really in to the whole gambling thing. It's just sort of… a means to an end, you know? And after a while, I guess I just got really good at it. Or maybe I'm just really lucky!" He said with a huge grin. "But after I graduate here, I'll be set up for life, so I won't have to do that anymore!" So he doesn't even like gambling? Can't say I expected that. I excused myself and moved on. Next up was a girl with long blue hair, wearing a sailor uniform.

"Hi, I'm Sayaka Maizono," she greeted with a pleasant smile. "I look forward to getting to know you."

"Likewise," I say. Sayaka Maizono? Isn't she...

"I'm sure you know this already, but I am the Ultimate Fanfic Creator." I hardly contain my surprise. She's the Ultimate Fanfic Creator? She seems so… well put together. "I'm sure you were expecting someone more like Yamada to hold my title, correct?"

"...Yeah," I say, a bit embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I get that practically everywhere I go," she said with the same pleasant smile.

"Yeah, I bet…" I reply. I can still hardly believe it… She seems too pretty to be the Ultimate Fanfic Creator. With the way she's smiling… It's almost like she's a porcelain doll or something.

"Hey, I'm not a doll, you know!"

"Did I say that out loud!?" I say, shocked. I hope I didn't offend her.

"No, I'm just psychic."

"Huh?"

"Just kidding! I just have really good intuition." I'm not sure if I should be embarrassed more over the fact that I'm really easy to read, or that I completely believed her when she said she was psychic. "Hey," she continued. "By any chance…"

"Hey, just how long do you plan to waste our valuable time with this ridiculous back and forth!?" the guy standing next to us shouted.

"Sorry," Sayaka apologized. "I guess I got carried away…"

"Introductions are for introducing yourself, not bumbling through idle chit-chat!"

"You're right… Sorry Junko, we'll talk later." And with that, she left. And with that, I decided to talk to the guy who interrupted us. He was really tall. He had a very orderly haircut and very stern eyes. But… he kind of looked like a punk. I could see all forms of medals adorning his pristine, white jacket.

"So…" I say to him.

"Junko Enoshima!" he said boisterously. "I am Mondo Owada! I believe in bold simplicity! Let's work together on our educational crusade!" Mondo Owada… from what I saw, he's the Ultimate Moral Compass. He went to some private honor school and received top honors every year. He's practically a flawless honor student. He's especially known for the work he does with his community's Public Morals Committee. They say he respects rules above all else, even to an extreme extent. Hence the title. "Let me leave you with a word of advice: Life is about putting everything you've got into it! So let's do our best!" This guy… is kind of annoying. Just as I thought I was about to get some long entrance ceremony speech from this guy, someone came up and tapped me on my shoulder.

"Hi, hi!" she greeted cheerfully as I turned around. I could only gaze at her in shock. Much to my surprise and awe… was the Ultimate Fashionista… talking to me of all people…!

"Uh… Ah…" was all I managed to say. I was completely star struck.

"Hey, are you okay there?" She asked. "Anyway, we should get these pesky introductions out of the way. I'm Toko Fukawa, but based on your reaction, I guess you knew that already."

"...Oh! I'm Junko Enoshima… It's… nice to meet you."

"Junko, huh?" she says. "Cute name. It fits you."

"It... fits me?" Was I just complimented by the Ultimate Fashionista herself?"

"Anyway, I'm sure we'll become great friends!" She said, flashing me a smile and a victory sign. "And don't worry, I'll be sure to help you with your wardrobe problem!"

"...Wardrobe problem?" I looked over the clothes I was wearing. Personally, I didn't think there was anything wrong with wearing a hoodie and a skirt… But as I snapped out of my daze, she was already gone. Well I still need to meet with everyone else. I decided to talk the guy who was standing right by the wall. He was really short… so short he looked like a middle-schooler. I noticed that he had bandages wrapped all around his arms and legs.

"You gonna fucking stare at me all day?" he said, realizing I was staring at him.

"Oh… sorry."

"I know what you're thinking. How can a guy this short be in high school?" Just like his appearance, his voice made him seem like a small kid too. "Well I know exactly how short I am. You don't got to make comments about it."

"...Duly noted."

"Anyway, the name's Chihiro Fujisaki, Ultimate Martial Artist."

"Junko Enoshima… Wait, you're the Ultimate Martial Artist?" I was taken aback.

"What? You gonna make another crack about my height!?" he yelled suddenly. I flinched instinctively. "...Sorry, didn't mean to yell like that. But yeah, I'm the Ultimate Martial Artist. I mastered nearly every martial art known to man over the course of my life. I even won every tournament I've been to." That's right… Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Martial Artist. He's fought in tournaments all around the world and has a winning streak upwards of 400 matches. He's even been known to take down guys four times his size.

"That's… really impressive."

"I know, right?" He beamed proudly.

"So… how did you get into martial arts in the first place?"

"Hmm… Well I guess it started way back when I was younger. I used to get picked on a lot, so one day I decided I had enough. So I manned up and kicked every one of their asses. As soon as I sent them crying home to their moms, I realized that I really liked feeling powerful like that. One thing led to another, and I ended up here."

"I see," I said. Based on that story, this kid seems really scary. Definitely not someone I want angry at me.

"Anyway, I hope we can get along or something. I don't wanna have to bust anyone's head around here."

"Ok?"

"You seem like a nice chick," he said. "If any of these other guys give you a problem, come to me. I'll take care of them for you." After exchanging pleasantries with Chihiro, I moved onto the next person. She was a stern looking girl with long lavender hair and a pale complexion. Her eyes were purple, just like her jacket. In fact, her whole outfit was rather… Purple. She was still… very pretty, I think.

"Um… Hello." I say to her.

"..."

"I'm Junko Enoshima…"

"..."

"Um…May I ask your name?"

"... Kyoko Kirigiri."

"You mean… The Kyoko Kirigiri?" Anyone who doesn't live under a rock would be familiar with that name. Kyoko Kirigiri, leader of the idol group _Love Hurricane_… the Ultimate Pop Sensation. Normally, in all of her stage performances, she gives of the air of being really cheerful and cutesy, but looking at her now she seems really… stoic. "You seem a lot different than I expected of an idol…"

"Hmm…" She said, clearing her throat. "Hi!" She said, beaming. "I'm Kyoko Kirigiri! Super excited to meet you!" she exclaimed, with a twinkle in her eyes and a sparkling smile. The sudden change in her demeanor was... startling to say the least. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand. "I'm gonna try my hardest so we can be best friends!"

"Um... thanks?"

"...Is that better?" she asked, returning to her stoic expression. I guess with being an idol and everything, she has to maintain a certain personality. I guess I'll ask her about it later. So the next person I introduced myself to… clearly the largest out of all of us. I could see the muscles bulging out of the jacket she was wearing.

"Name's Sakura Oogami," she said. "Nice to meetcha." Sakura Oogami… that means that she's the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader. Apparently, she's one of the toughest people in all of Japan, and the leader of the largest gang too. From what I hear, that's a title that you have to earn.

"...Um… Nice to meet you too, Sakura." To know that the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader has such a feminine name as Sakura… it's kind of unsettling. I better not say anything about it though, or I might end up sleeping with the fishes. As I turned to talk the others, I bump into this tall guy.

"Oh, excuse me," I say… before realizing that he's practically shirtless, wearing only a jacket, leaving his…. well-defined chest open.

"No, my bad… Hello?"

"Huh?" I say. It took him calling out to me to realize that I was staring at him.

"Oh, so you are in there!" he said. "The name's Kiyotaka Ishimaru, but you can call me Taka for short."

"I...I'm Junko Enoshima." No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't stop staring.

"So… for introductions… I'm the Ultimate Swimming Pro, but I pretty much like to do all sports. Basketball, Football, whatever. So what about you?"

"...Huh?"

"What about you? What's your ultimate ability?"

"Oh… I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"Ultimate Lucky Student? What's that like? Is it that whenever you draw for something you always get the best prize?"

"No, it's nothing like that…"

"Ah, well I'm sure I'll figure it at some point. We'll talk later okay?"

"O...Okay…"

"Hey, you shouldn't look so down! A cute girl like you should have a smile on her face." I could immediately feel myself blushing.

"Cute?"

"Yeah. Anyway, it was good to meet you." I stood there, watching him leave to talk to the others.

"The Ultimate Lucky Student matched with the Ultimate Swimming Pro?" I yelped at the sudden voice right next to me. "Seems like a good pairing to me." I looked at who just snapped me back to reality. A very pale girl dressed in an gothic-lolita style outfit. Her hair was styled into large twintails. "I'm Taeko Yasuhiro, but you may know me better as Celestia Ludenberg." Celestia Ludenberg… that's the name I saw for the Ultimate Writing Prodigy. A young high schooler who has become a world renown author. She specializes in gothic fantasy novels involving a whole bunch of mythical creatures like vampires and werewolves. Her books are so popular that I hear her _Blut Vollmond_ series is being turned into a trilogy of movies. Her stories are really popular with nearly every demographic… they have romance, action, mystery… pretty much everything anyone would want to read. Personally, I was really looking forward to those movies. "Call me Celeste."

"I'm Junko Enoshima. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, the pleasure is mine," she said, daintily covering her smile. "I do hope we all can get along. Oh, and good luck with the swimmer." I could feel myself blushing again as she let out a giggle. Trying to forget my growing embarrassment, I moved to talk to someone else. This time, it was a stern looking guy, wearing a thick jacket. He appeared to be on the short side.

"Hello," I say to him.

"..." He doesn't seem to be looking at me.

"Um, hello?"

"..." I sigh. He doesn't seem to be talking, but I decide to give it one more try.

"I'm Junko Enoshima, and you are?"

"Makoto Naegi: Ultimate Soldier. 160 cm, 57 kg. My favorite musical artist is Gackt and my favorite movie is Dunston Checks In." I stare at him. I didn't really expect him to tell me all of that. "Could you move along now?" he asks. "I don't really know how to talk to civilians." Saying that, he just walked away. The Ultimate Soldier, huh? I couldn't really find anything about him other than he left his home to join a group of mercenaries when he was ten… or so the story goes.

"Don't worry too much about him," another voice said.I turned to see a really tall guy, dressed in a dress shirt and tie. Overall, he looked really professional… except for his hair. That was really wild… in a sense. "You're Junko, correct?"

"Yeah," I say, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you…"

"Yasuhiro Hagakure."

"Ok, then. Nice to meet you Yasuhiro Hagakure"

"So I hear you're the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"Yup, that's me."

"Hm... Of all the people who could have joined this school, it ended up being you," he said, as if contemplating. I'm not sure I'm supposed to take that as a compliment or an insult.

"Well what about you? What's your ability?"

"..."

"...?"

"I'll let you figure it out on your own," he said with a small smile. What's that supposed to mean!? I feel like he's toying with me. "Anyway, I believe we still have a few more people to meet," he said, walking away. Well, it is true I have a few more to introduce myself to. I guess I'll just leave him alone for now. I go over to talk to another girl. She's wearing a green jacket and glasses. She has an air of… refinement around her. I guess what I'm trying to say is she exudes an aura of class.

"Name's Mukuro Ikusaba," she says curtly.

"Um…Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Junko Enoshima."

"..."

"..." I guess she's not much of a talker. But then again, I don't know what I was expecting. Even among all of these Ultimates… she's special. She is the sole heir to a billion dollar global conglomerate, and has been raised from a young age to inherit it. Everything she's ever done, she has excelled at. From athletics to grades… even art. She even started managing business operations, and her net worth is probably larger than that of the entire school. That's why she's known as the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. She is the walking definition of 'exceptional'.

"...Are you just going to stand there, staring? Go away. I tire of looking at you."

"Um… Okay…" I feel like she's silently saying 'you will never stand on the same level as me'... kind of like a queen in training. I walk over to a girl, staring intensely into a crystal ball. I can see she's wearing a lot of jewelry. She has tons of bracelets and necklaces… It looks really gaudy.

"Ah… Junko Enoshima… Have you come to take a look into your future?"

"Um… no… I just wanted to introduce myself…"

"No need. The spirits have already told me everything about you… from your past to your future…"

"R...Really?"

"Of course…In fact, the spirits are being very noisy today…. They have told me of the best moment of your life… and the worst…"

"Huh!?" I exclaim. "What are they?"

"...When you were young, you cried for a long time because your parents wouldn't get you a pet."

"What? How did you know that?"

"And for your future…"

"Yeah!? Yeah?"

"...Ah… the future... is getting cloudy… the spirits are leaving me… perhaps I could persuade them to stay… If you gave me $300,000."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... No go then?"

"I don't have that kind of money!"

"I see… how unfortunate. Not knowing the future means the difference between life and death, you know. How many kingdoms have fallen because the did not heed the words from the future…But since you are the Ultimate Lucky Student, I suppose you might not even require a fortune telling. But I digress. If you ever do need your fortunate told, do not forget the name Aoi Asahina." As far as I know, Aoi Asahina is known as the Ultimate Clairvoyant. I never really understood how all that fortune-telling stuff works… It's pretty much beyond me. I mean, I like to think it can happen. It would be great to know what kind of answers will pop on a test beforehand. And with that, there was only one person left to introduce myself to.

"Hey," he said as I walked up to him. "I'm Byakuya Togami. Ultimate Baseball Star, if you prefer." That's right.. Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Baseball Star. Already being scouted for the pro leagues due to his winning streak and overall skill.

"I'm Junko Enoshima."

"Right."

"... That's it?"

"Also, I don't give free autographs." I can't say that I wasn't expecting something like this with him… but I can't say I'm too happy about it either. I guess that's just how professionals are.

And with that, all the introductions are done.


	3. Chapter 2- Monokuma's First Announcement

I looked around at everyone again. Even though they're all ultimates, they each have their own individual… air about them. Life is certainly going to be interesting around them.

"Okay," Mukuro said. "Now that we're done with the pleasantries, it's time to get to business. This is no time to stand around, making 'friends' like a bunch of dull-eyed baboons."

"That's true," I agree. "Didn't someone say something about a bigger problem? What was that about?"

"Well," Sayaka started. "Remember how you said 'bunch of stuff happened and you just… fell asleep'? The same thing happened to the rest of us."

"Yeah," Leon agreed. "We were all walking into Hope's Peak, and then we all fell asleep or something. And when we came to, we were all somewhere here in the school! That's how it happened with you, right?"

"But… why would that happen to each of us? Isn't that a bit… weird?" I ask.

"Which is exactly what we were discussing before you arrived," Mondo explained.

"And that's not the only thing," Taka said. "Did you see how all the windows and stuff were bolted shut? What's up with that?"

"And all my stuff is missing!" Toko exclaimed. I do remember me not having my watch…. does that mean everyone else lost their stuff? Or was it… taken…?

"And there's also the issue of the main hall itself," Byakuya said. "The front exit is completely blocked by this metal hatch. And I am sure there was nothing like this when we all walked in here."

"Do you think we got caught up in some kind of crime!?" Hifumi exclaimed.

"What, like some kind of kidnapping?" Leon asked, a bit panicked. "You think someone knocked us all unconscious and brought us to this weird place and that we're actually not at Hope's Peak?"

"I doubt that is the case," Yasuhiro said. "If that were so, why would they allow us to roam the ground freely like this? Even with the plates covering the windows, surely they would know there is strength in numbers and try to keep us separated."

"Yeah," Sayaka agreed. "I bet this is all just part of some elaborate orientation."

"What, you think they're hazing us or something?" Chihiro asked.

"Well if that's the case, that takes a load off my mind!" Taka said.

"That's got to be it," Celeste agreed. "I bet with a school as illustrious a this, it's got to have some pretty eccentric entrance ceremony." I could feel everyone's tensions leaving… I thought everything was just some weird joke… But… then it began.

*Ding dong bing bong*

As the bell rang, a hazy image appeared on the monitor in the main hall.

"Ahem… Testing testing, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system!" The voice that we all heard… it sounded totally out of place. It was so… unconcerned and playful… like it was toying with us. I couldn't help but feel a chill as it spoke… and it gave me an overwhelming sense of dread. It was like… seeing someone laugh at a funeral or a tragic scene. "All incoming students!The entrance ceremony is about to begin! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience. That is all."

"... What the hell was that?" Toko said.

"It was obviously a school announcement," Byakuya said.

"Yeah, I think we all got that, Captain Obvious," Chihiro snarked.

"Well, if you'll excuse me…" Mukuro said as she left the room.

"You're really just gonna leave like that?" Hifumi said.

"Ah, I get it," Sakura said. "All this was to get us pumped for the entrance ceremony." And, one by one, everyone left for the gymnasium. But… I couldn't bring myself to move. That dread I felt rooted me in place. And it seemed I wasn't the only one left in the gymnasium.

"This… doesn't seem right…" Yasuhiro said.

"Yeah, that announcement was totes weird," Toko said.

"Maybe…" Kyoko said. "But standing around here won't solve anything. And aren't you all curious to find out what's going on?" She does have a point… I guess the only thing for us to is move forward. Then again, we don't really have a choice, do we?

"They said to go to the gym, right?" I said.

"Yes," Yasuhiro said. "Perhaps we should get going." And with that, the rest of us moved to the gymnasium. As we moved, I couldn't help but notice… there weren't any other students in the halls.

"... I'm totally getting a bad vibe from this…" Toko said. I completely agree. First all the windows are bolted, and there's no students around… Could this really all just be for the entrance ceremony?"

"Indeed," Yasuhiro agreed. "If this is just to prepare for an entrance ceremony, it is rather ominous."

"I guess the only way we'll know for sure is if we just get on with it," Kyoko said. I really don't understand how those two can be so calm about this… or maybe I'm just imagining things. Still, even though I had that sense of dread, I did what the announcement said and entered the gym.

"... Huh," I said, entering the gym. "It really does look like an entrance ceremony." I could see the gym was decorated with a long, red carpet with chairs sitting on top of it. There were sixteen of them in total… which means that our class has a total of sixteen people. At the front of the gym, there was a stage with a desk and the school's crest.

"See? It's just as I thought," Sayaka said. "Just a totally normal entrance ceremony." I guess… but in a way, that just emphasizes how not normal everyone here was.

"Hey now, is everyone here?" a voice from somewhere said. Whoever that was, it was the same person that made the announcement for us to come here. "So that's everyone then? Good! Let's get this rolling!" All of us directed our attention to the front of the gym. I think we all were expecting some kind of teacher or maybe the student body president but instead, before any of us realized it, some sort of… bear-like thing jumped on top of the desk.

"Is that a teddy bear?" Toko asked.

"Hey! I'm not a teddy bear! I am… Monokuma! I am your headmaster!" This… was probably the strangest thing I've ever seen in my life. What I was seeing… was truly incomprehensible. "Nice to meet you all!" The bright voice and carefree attitude coming from that bear was completely out of place. All that dread I was feeling… suddenly transformed into outright fear.

"Did that teddy bear just talk?" Chihiro asked.

"Nah, there's probably just a speaker on it," Hifumi said.

"I already told you, I am not a teddy bear!" Monokuma insisted. "I'm your headmaster, and you should all be showing me respect!"

"...And now it's moving around," Taka said.

"I must say, that is a very… interesting toy," Celeste said.

"How dare you compare me to a child's plaything…" Monokuma said sullenly. "That really hurts, you know. Words like that… they cut deep! Deeper than the Marianas Trench even!"

"...You mean like the band?" Sayaka asked.

"It is referring to the deepest part of the ocean," Makoto replied. "The Marianas Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean east of the Mariana Islands, has an approximate depth of 11,034 meters and an approximate width of-"

"Oh my god, no one cares!" Sakura interrupted.

"Hey hey!' Mondo said. "It's very rude to interrupt a fellow student!" Sakura scoffed and then flipped him off.

"My my," Monokuma said. "Such hot blooded students I have. You certainly are an interesting bunch… I'm BEARy excited to see what you all accomplish!"

"...Bear-y?" I asked. That joke… was kind of painful actually.

"Now then, moving on!" Monokuma said. "We really must hurry and get started."

"What? You don't have any other stupid bear puns?" Byakuya asked.

"Oh, there will be time for that," Monokuma said. "Now everyone, bow and say 'good morning'!"

"Good morning!" Mondo promptly said.

"Okay, first let's talk about what your school life here will be like," Monokuma started. "Let me start by saying that you few students, so full of potential, represent the hope of the world. And, in order fully protect and nourish that hope… you will all live a communal life together solely within the confines of this school. Everyone will live in harmony together, and adhere to the rules and regulations of the school."

"...What?" I asked.

"I said, you all are gonna live here in peace and harmony! And as for how long this communal life of yours is supposed to last… it's indefinite! In other words, you'll all be here until the day you die! Such is the school life you've been assigned."

"Wait, what was that?" Toko asked. "Until we die…?"'

"Oh, but don't worry your pretty little heads about a thing!" Monokuma continued. "We have quite an abundant budget so you won't lack for all of the common conveniences."

"...So you're saying we have to live here forever?" I ask.

"You've got to be kidding!" Taka exclaimed.

"Hey, I'm not kidding! I'm always 100% honest! And personally, I find jokes like that to be unBEARable!"

"...He's doing the puns again…" Aoi said.

"And just so everyone's clear, you're all cut off completely from the outside world. So now you won't have to worry about all the filth and grime from the land beyond these walls again!"

"Cut off…?" I ask

"So what you're saying is that we're completely sequestered from all of modern society…" Mukuro said.

"So all of those plates and stuff are to keep us trapped here?" Hifumi asked.

"Yes, that's exactly right," Monokuma said. "No matter how much you yell and scream… help will not come. So with all that in mind, feel free to live out your lives here with reckless abandon! Aren't I such a nice headmaster to think of all you kids like this?"

"Come on…" Leon said nervously. "I don't care if the school or whoever else is behind this, this is all just a really bad joke."

"Yeah," Sakura agreed. "This shit ain't funny."

"You keep saying this is a lie or a joke… how skeptical can you all be?" Monokuma said. "But I suppose it can't be helped. You all grew up in an environment where you're taught not to trust anyone, not even your own neighbor. Well, you'll have plenty of time to find out whether or not what I say is true. And when that time comes, you'll all see that everything I say is, in fact, the undeniable truth."

"Living here forever would be quite problematic," Celeste said.

"Come on, what's wrong with all of you?" Monokuma said. "You all decided to attend Hope's Peak Academy of your own free will, didn't you? And now you all want to leave before the entrance ceremony is over? Once again, I guess that can't be helped. But, being the gracious headmaster that I am, there is one way you all can leave…"

"So what is it?" Kyoko asked.

"Don't worry, I've created a special clause in the school rules for anyone who would like to leave. I call it the Graduation Clause! It's simple, really. As I mentioned before, in order to maintain an environment of harmony here, we rely on a communal lifestyle. If someone were to disrupt that harmony, they and they alone would be allowed to leave the school. That, my students, is the Graduation Clause!"

"What do you mean by 'disrupt the harmony'?" Mukuro asked.

"Upupu.." Monokuma gave a sickening giggle. "Oh you know… if one person were to murder another…"

"M...Murder!" I exclaim. That can't be… this has to be some kind of sick joke!

"Yes, murder! Be it stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, burning, or what have you. How you do it doesn't matter. You just have to kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you. Give it your all to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible." I could hardly believe what this toy bear was saying… 'You just have to kill someone if you want to leave'? "Upupu. I bet that got your little brains working! Beats the hell out of trying to catch a fish with your BEAR hands, huh? Like I said, you guys are the hope of the world. But you know… Taking that hope and seeing it murdered creates a darkened shadow of despair. And I just find that…So... Damn...Exciting!"

"That's insane!" Mondo said.

"Yeah, you can't honestly just expect us to kill each other!" Hifumi said.

"Just quit your lame joke and let us go home already!" Chihiro exclaimed. Monokuma started growling.

"Grr… Jokes, jokes, that's all you kids talk about! I bet everything is just a joke to you all! I bet you even think your whole life is a joke! You chuckleheads just don't get it, do you? Listen, from this moment on this school is your home, your life, your world. Got it? And you can kill as much as you want! So go ahead! Go on a killing spree or a rampage even!"

"Okay, so how long are you gonna keep this up?" Sayaka asked.

"Huh?" Monokuma said.

"I mean, I get it, you scared us pretty good, but how long are you gonna keep this little trick up?"

"Trick?"

"Okay, stand aside, little girl," Sakura said, placing herself directly in front of Monokuma. "Alright, you little shit," she said to the bear in question. "I don't care if you're a toy or a stuffed animal or whatever, you've got five seconds to let us out of this place." She lifted up Monokuma and stared into it's eyes.

"Hey now!" it said. "Violence against the headmaster is in strict violation of the school regulations!"

"Shut the fuck up! You gonna let us out or not?"

"..."

"What, not gonna say anything?"

"..." And with a mighty roar, Sakura threw Monokuma far into the back of the gym. And then it exploded.

"The hell was that?" Sakura said.

"Well whatever, that means that teddy bear or whatever has been destroyed, right?" Toko asked.

"For the last time, I'm not a teddy bear!" And just as the first one appeared, a second Monokuma jumped onto the desk.

"There's another one!?" Leon asked.

"What the fuck was up with the explosion?" Sakura asked.

"That's just a precautionary measure," Monokuma exclaimed. "Violence against the headmaster seriously isn't tolerated around here! I'll let you all off with a warning, but you'd better be careful from now on! Anyone who violates the rules won't get by with just a slap on the wrist! There will be serious consequences!"

"So… does this mean that the bear has a lot of back ups?" Hifumi asked.

"Yeah, there's tons of Monokumas everywhere throughout the school," the bear said. "And don't forget about the security cameras installed everywhere, so if any of you breaks a rule… I will know. And I won't be so forgiving in my punishment next time, so don't let it happen again! Anyway, to commemorate all of your entrances here, I've prepared a fully digital e-handbook for everyone! They are absolutely vital to a healthy school life, so don't lose them! When you start it up, it displays your name, so always make sure you have the right one. They're very resistant and completely waterproof, so don't even try to break them. They contain all of the school regulations, so make sure you review them thoroughly! I'll say this a lot, but any violation of school regulations will not be tolerated. Rules restrict, but they also protect. A society without laws would be utter chaos. The same thing applies here, which is why I have strict punishments for any rule breakers. And with that, our ceremony draws to a close. Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life! See ya!" And just like that, he was gone.

"I'm not exactly sure how to describe what we just experienced," Mondo said.

"I'm not sure I understand any of this…" Leon said.

"So if what everything that bear said was true…" Yasuhiro started. "Then we essentially have two choices: either we stay here, living a communal life until we die, or we kill each other if we want to leave."

"But killing someone in order to leave," I say. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"

"So whoever is behind this abducts us and then tells us to kill each other," Mukuro said.

"This can't be real…" Aoi said.

"Whether it's real or not isn't the problem," Kyoko said. "What we should be worried about is if someone is seriously considering what Monokuma said." To that, nobody had a response. I looked around at everyone. We were all staring at each other, trying to gauge each other's thoughts. I could early taste the hostility. And that's when it hit me… When I realized the true terror hidden within the rules Monokuma had laid out. 'You just have to kill someone if you want to leave.' Those words had planted vicious thoughts deep within each of us. We all became suspicious of each other, wondering if someone was actually going to betray us. And that's how my new school life began. This school, which had come out of nowhere to raise my hopes so high... This isn't a school of hope.

It's… a school of despair.


	4. Chapter 3- The First Steps

We were paralyzed. All of us in that room, staring daggers at one another, Monokuma's words ringing fresh in our minds. I knew that at that moment, we were all thinking the same thing: 'could someone really consider killing us?' All of us just continued staring for what seemed like an eternity. We were all stuck in our trance until someone decided to speak.

"So are we all just gonna glare at each other all day?" Kyoko asked.

"She's right…" Mondo said. "Whether one is nervous or afraid, he or she simply needs to move forward!"

"So then, how do we do that exactly?" Hifumi asked.

"Well obviously we look for a way out!" Taka said.

"We should also be looking for who was controlling that bear," Sakura said. "I sure as hell ain't letting them get away with this."

"We should go over the rules within the handbook, first," Celeste said. "Who knows what could happen if we end up breaking one of them?" So we checked the rules at her suggestion. After I turned on my handbook, the first thing that popped up was my name. I browsed through the menus until I happened upon the rules.

_1. Students may reside only within the school; leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time._

2. '_Nighttime' is from 10:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please use caution. In addition, the water in the dorms will be cut off during this time._

_3. Sleeping anywhere other than the dorms is considered sleeping in class and will be punished accordingly._

_4. With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion._

_5. Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras._

_6. Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes 'blackened' will graduate, unless they are discovered._

_7. Additional school regulations may be added as necessary._

"Based on what we saw earlier, it would probably be wise to follow these rules," Yasuhiro said.

"Yeah," Chihiro agreed. "If that bear was serious, I think something worse than an explosion is gonna happen if you break one."

"So that means we don't have to worry about anyone breaking them, right?" Hifumi asked.

"I have a question, though," Sayaka said. "For rule six, what do you think it means, exactly?"

"It's most likely what Monokuma was talking about earlier," Toko said.

"But I was talking more about where it says 'unless they are discovered,'" Sayaka replied.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that, too," I say.

"It simply means that to graduate, you have to kill someone without anyone finding out," Mukuro said.

"But... Why would we have to kill?" Aoi asked.

"Hey, now," Taka said. "Let's not worry too much about the whole murder thing right now. I mean, it's not like anyone would actually think about doing that, right?" He chuckled nervously as he said this. I really want to believe that, but can I be completely sure?

"Yes, let us put that whole ordeal behind us," Mondo said. "I believe our first priority should be to explore the school in order to properly ascertain the environment we are dealing with!"

"Okay, then let's all start looking around," Leon said.

"I'll be going, then," Mukuro abruptly said.

"Hey, you're just going to go alone?" I ask.

"Certainly," she replied. "You can't deny the possibility that someone among us has already started planning to kill. Why would I put myself in unneeded danger?"

"You can't seriously think that!" I say. I don't believe that she would actually think that one of us would kill someone!

"And what reason would she have not to believe that?" Byakuya said. "We know virtually nothing about each other. You can refuse to believe that any of these people are incapable of killing, but if you end up dead because of that, you only have yourself to blame."

"Dude… that's just cold," Taka said. Mukuro just chuckled.

"At least one of you plebeians is capable of using that primitive tool you call a brain," Mukuro said. Byakuya scoffed at that remark. "Now then, if there will be no more interruptions…" and just like that, she left. Byakuya left shortly thereafter.

"...What the fuck is their problem?" Sakura said.

"Just let them go," Yasuhiro said. "We should just go about what we were planning and explore the school. I'm sure they'll turn up sooner or later."

"Anyway, I believe our first priority should be trying to find a way out of here," Kyoko said. Yasuhiro nodded in agreement.

"Make sure to be thorough, everyone," Yasuhiro said as he and Kyoko left.

"Well I'm gonna see if I can find some grub," Sakura said. "If we do end up stuck here, it's best to know where to get something to eat."

"I'll go with you," Chihiro said. "I'm pretty hungry."

"...I'm a bit peckish myself," Aoi said. The three of them left with each other.

"I'm gonna check to see if all of the windows are covered up like that," Taka said. "They must have some place that leads outside..."

"I shall accompany you!" Mondo said. "I'm sure with both of our combined efforts we shall accomplish anything we set our mind to!"

"...If you say so…"

"Leon! You accompany us as well!"

"...What? Why me?" Leon hardly had time to respond as he was practically dragged out of the gym by Mondo, with Taka following behind.

"I suppose I'll take my leave too," Celeste said.

"I'll go too!" Toko said.

"I shall perform my own investigation as well!" Hifumi said. The three of them excused themselves, which just left Sayaka, Makoto, and myself in the gym.

"Well, I guess that leaves us," Sayaka said.

"Yeah," I say. I don't know, I still can't believe this whole deal about killing… Could someone actually be considering that…?

"Hey, are you still thinking about that whole killing deal?" Sayaka asked. I stared wide-eyed at her. "Judging by your expression, I guess I'm right." I must be really easy to read if she can pull stuff like that. "Like I said, I just have really good intuition."

"...I'm not sure intuition works like that," I reply.

"But you shouldn't worry about it too much," Sayaka said. "I think worrying about it will just make you paranoid, and that can't be good for your overall mental state. All we need to do is stick together, right? I mean, there's strength in numbers, and if anyone gets out of hand, we can just slap them back into reality!" She's right… But I can't just forget about this kind of thing. The fact that anyone of us could just decide to be a killer…

"I know you're right… But can one of us actually go through with killing somebody?"

"It isn't a question of 'can' or 'cannot'," Makoto said abruptly. The way he said this… He had a deathly serious tone.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.

"The question you should be asking is not whether one of these people has the ability to commit a murder. The truth is, any individual has the potential to kill."

"...What are you saying?" I ask. I… don't really understand what he's getting at.

"The question you should be asking is 'will a murder occur'."

"..." Now he really lost me. Isn't that what we were just saying!? He just stared at me… I guess he could tell that I don't really get what he's talking about.

"... Anyone can become a killer if they are truly pushed to their limits. It's like that saying, ' a cornered cat becomes as fierce as a lion.' I've seen people truly fear for their lives, and that's when they become dangerous. These people around us don't seem… directly threatening." Is this supposed to be his way of telling me not to worry? Because it's certainly not working.

"Oh, I think I get it," Sayaka said. "I think he's trying to say that these aren't the kind of people that go around killing people?"

"Well I'd hope that no one is the kind of person that just goes around killing people!"

"... You'd be surprised. The amount of people in this world that want death… relish in it… there are many more of them than you realize." Now this guy was really putting me on edge.

"I still don't quite understand…" I say. Not only am I getting more worried, I can hardly understand what he's getting at!

"I suppose… what I'm trying to say…" Makoto looked around as he tried to find the right words. I guess as a soldier he just doesn't have to talk much, so doing all this must be pretty uncomfortable for him. "I believe the one controlling Monokuma is a person of that nature."

"Oh, so you're saying that Monokuma, or, whoever is behind him I guess, really gets off on death and stuff?" Sayaka asked. Makoto nodded. "Well, if nothing else, at least they make a good villain!" Sayaka giggled. I don't understand how she can be so cheerful in a situation like this. The more time I spend with her... the more I'm confused by her.

"But that brings me to my other point," Makoto continued. "The people surrounding us… they are not dangerous by themselves."

"Well I hope not," I say, a bit sarcastically.

"But I fear that Monokuma will do something to push us into killing each other."

"What?" Sayaka asked.

"...In my experience, I have seen people with similar mindsets to Monokuma. They have done things similar to this: take prisoners and coerce them into killing each other for their enjoyment."

"...That's messed up…" I say.

"What I'm trying to say is that you need to worry most about the one in control of this situation. You don't need to harbor any ill feelings toward your comrades."

"So… You think Monokuma is really serious about all this killing?" I ask. Makoto nodded again.

"I can't say for sure what his methods are going to be, but… I'm certain we need to watch out. For now, we probably are going to have to bide our time until he makes a move." I sigh. Even the Ultimate Soldier is concerned about the situation we found ourselves in. I take it that's not a good sign.

"So you just propose we wait?" Sayaka asked.

"Yes. Since we know next to nothing about our enemy, we must first see what their modus operandi is before we can devise an effective plan of attack."

"Well, nothing much we can do about it at the moment, then," Sayaka said, shrugging. "Hey Junko, you don't look too good." She looked at me with a worried expression. Like I thought, I must be an open book. "What do you say we walk around too? I'm sure it will take your mind off of things for a while." I really had no reason to object to that. I mean, even if everyone else is already exploring the school, it wouldn't hurt for us to do the same. I mean, we might even find something! At least, that's what I tried to convince myself of as the three of us explored the various parts of the school. Eventually, we ended up at some place named 'Despair Hotel', which I could only assume was supposed to be the dormitory. We looked around this weird hallway that had dimmer lighting compared to the rest of the floor. There, we found a bunch of doors, and each one had one of our names on them. According to the rules, we need to sleep here or else we'll be punished. I didn't really find much else, but then again, I wasn't really trying to. My mind just kept wandering back to the situation we found ourselves in. A huge part of me didn't want to accept that we'd been kidnapped and may very well be coerced into killing each other by some sicko psychopath... And what person would accept that if they were in my shoes? All the time we were looking around, Sayaka kept trying to cheer me up. I had no clue what Makoto was doing. He… kept a noticeable distance from us. After looking around that hallway for a bit, we decided to take a break and go to the dining hall we passed earlier.

"Oh, hey you guys," Chihiro said as we entered. He, Sakura, and Aoi were all sitting down, enjoying what looked to be a hearty plate of steak.

"So you found something to eat after all, huh?" Sayaka said, sitting down with them.

"Yeah we did," Sakura said.

"You should see all the stuff they had back there!" Chihiro said.

"Are you okay, Junko?" Aoi asked me.

"She's been thinking about what Monokuma said this whole time," Sayaka explained.

"Come on," Chihiro said. "I doubt any of us would go so far as to kill someone! And even if they do, I'll be sure to make 'em pay!"

"Yeah," Sakura agreed. "If there's one thing I can't forgive, It's killing someone." That's not something I really expected the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader to say. I could swear that her life involves a lot of violence and death. I guess that just goes to show that you can never judge a book by it's cover. "If anyone wants to try something, they're gonna have to go through me first."

"And Makoto can help too," Chihiro said. Makoto looked surprised to hear his name said.

"...Me?" he asked.

"Yeah, man!" Chihiro continued. "Between the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, Ultimate Soldier, and Ultimate Martial Artist, we'll have everything under control! We'd practically be unstoppable!" I couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm.

"Then I guess we're safe in your hands," I giggled. Maybe I should just stop worrying. Sayaka and Makoto were definitely right. These are good people. I think it's safe to say they wouldn't do anything to each other. Yeah… I'm probably just overthinking things!

"So you guys must be a bit hungry to head over here," Aoi said.

"Yeah," I said. "We didn't really find much when we were looking around, so we decided to take a break in here and see if we could eat something."

"Well you certainly aren't going to go hungry," Aoi said.

"They have all kinds of meat and fruits and vegetables in the kitchen," Chihiro said. "And apparently it gets restocked everyday."

"It does?" Sayaka asked. "How do you know?"

"Well," Chihiro continued. "Monokuma came by and said so."

"What?" I asked.

"Yeah, we were a bit skeptical, too," Sakura said. "But from what we gathered, none of the food is poisonous and it gets restocked sometime during the night when this room is locked up."

"Monokuma said that he wouldn't poison the food himself because that 'wouldn't be fair'," Aoi said.

"So you all will take the chance that no one else here will make a move to poison the food?" We all turned to see Mukuro standing by the door. "Figures. No matter how much you rabble insist that you all are safe with each other, there will always be that doubt you all have."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, standing up. She glared at Mukuro, her face masked with anger.

"You know exactly what I'm saying," Mukuro responded "Underlying all of your false camaraderie is a constant thought that one of the people you begin to call your 'friends' will inevitably betray you."

"Shut the hell up!" Sakura roared. "You don't know one fucking thing about us! How the fuck can you say one of us would betray each other?" With the way she was talking, she was practically throwing her words at Mukuro. All she did in response was chuckle.

"It's only human nature to doubt others," Mukuro said calmly. It seemed that nothing Sakura was saying was going to rile her. "The only thing your conviviality will bring you is betrayal."

"That's not true!" I yelled, much to Sayaka's, and my own, surprise. "You can't just make assumptions on other people like that! I don't know what kind of life you had before here that makes you think that… But people just aren't bad like that! I mean… you can't just… say that without actually getting to know us! Who cares if we all just met or whatever? If we all take the time to get to know each other, then we won't have to worry about betrayal!" I…don't know what came over me, there. I just couldn't stand to hear what she was saying. I know we just met and she basically said what I was thinking… but I can't have that kind of mindset! Sayaka is right: if i keep being paranoid I'm gonna exhaust myself to death. So… we have to trust each other. That's the only way we are gonna make it out of here alive. We're going to need to trust each other and stick together. Mukuro scoffed at me.

"It would seem my words are wasted on you," she said, adjusting her glasses. "Very well. Enjoy your time with each other… while it lasts." And with those ominous words… she left us. I sighed and sat back down.

"Sorry about that…" I say. "I don't know what came over me." I really don't. I was never one to stand up to people like that. I guess... maybe I am starting to trust these people.

"Who cares?" Sayaka said. "That speech was cool!"

"Cool?" I ask. "You must be joking."

"Well you certainly got your point across." Again we turned around, this time seeing Kyoko and Yasuhiro entering the room. "It would seem that not everyone is on board with working together," Kyoko said.

"Yeah, well if she wants to be a loner, then more power to her," Chihiro said.

"Her negative disposition is not good for my aura," Aoi said. "If she chooses to stay away from us, I wouldn't mind."

"Mukuro aside, we've finished our investigation," Yasuhiro said.

"Did you find anything?" Sayaka asked. Kyoko shook her head.

"We didn't find any exits, and it seems that the upper floors of the school as well as this building have been blocked by gates," she said.

"And those gates are quite sturdy," Yasuhiro said.

"I know," Makoto said. "I've seen gates and doors made of similar material. Nothing short of a bulldozer or an explosion will get us past them. And that's not even counting for the composition of the door to the main entrance." Yasuhiro sighed at Makoto's explanation. "Whoever put those up really didn't want anyone leaving."

"Anyway, we should probably wait until everyone gathers here to explain everything. We came across everyone and told them to come here when they were finished." So we waited. After a while, everyone else, with the exception of Mukuro and Byakuya showed up and told us what they all found. From what I can gather, we can't go up to the second floor of the school or the dorms. All of the windows we found were bolted like the ones I saw when I first woke up, and nothing they tried would make them budge. In the school building, the only rooms open were some sort of A/V room, a couple of classrooms, and the gym we were all in before. In the dorm, there is a room for each of us, each door with someone's name on it. Lastly, there's also a trash room in the dorms, but we couldn't get past the huge gate there.

"So that concludes everyone's report, then?" Mondo asked as we finished talking. It seems no one else had anything else to say. "Well then, I propose that we all retire to our rooms for the night. We've all had a long and rather stressful day, so be sure to get a good night's rest!" So, with nothing more to add, everyone went back to their respective rooms. When I got to my room, I immediately collapsed on the bed. I didn't realize how exhausted I was until I actually decided I wanted to sleep. I still have my worries about this place, but, like Sayaka said, it's no use thinking about it so much. I'd just become even more tired from thinking about it all the time. So instead of thinking of Monokuma's game, I turned my thoughts to the people stuck in here with me. I suppose I really am starting to trust them. I hope we all get along... and make it out of here in one piece. While thinking of everyone else, I fell into a deep sleep before long.


	5. Chapter 4- A Calm Morning

"Good morning everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is official over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another b-e-a-u-tiful day!" I awoke to the noise of an obnoxious bell, followed by Monokuma's voice. I guess that means that it's morning now… Not that I would know, since all the windows in the school, my room included, were boarded up with metal plates. Dragging myself out of the bed, I take my first good look at the room I was in. The first thing that grabs my attention is a key on a desk. I see that it has my name on it. I guess this is the key to this room, then. I also see a door right by the bed, which I can only assume leads to the bathroom. There wasn't much else to it: a bunch of drawers along the wall by the bed and a potted plant by the door leading to the hallway. I give a deep sigh.

"I guess it was too much to hope that everything that happened yesterday was just a really bad dream," I muse. I look down at myself, still wearing the same thing I was yesterday. I must have been really tired to fall asleep without changing. "Ugh, I feel disgusting," I say. Then it hits me: do I have anything else to wear? It would really suck if I have to wear the same thing everyday. Not to mention totally gross! Panicking, I rummage through all of the drawers. Much to my relief, it seems that all of the clothes, toiletries, and other things I planned to bring to Hope's Peak were there, and a sewing kit for some reason. Although that begs the question of how they got here… Does that mean Monokuma put them there...? I'm gonna stop that train of thought before I give myself chills. The last thing I want to think about is that stupid bear, especially him going through all my stuff. I head into the bathroom and perform my daily ritual, showering, teeth brushing, the works. After all that was said and done, I decided to go to the dining hall, making sure to bring the room key with me. I'd hate to see if there was some sort of punishment for losing that. Before I was even out the door, I heard a simple ring throughout the room. It caught me by surprise for a few seconds, but I remembered that each of the rooms had their own doorbells. This school must be pretty fancy if the student rooms have stuff like that. But what do I know? I opened the door to see Mondo standing right in front of me.

"Good morning, Miss Enoshima!" He loudly greeted.

"Good morning, Mondo," I say. "What brings you here this early?"

"In light of recent events, I propose that each of us join together for breakfast in the name of fellowship and student bonding!" I nod at him. He certainly is enthusiastic, but I think he might be a bit too loud this early in the morning.

"Sure," I say. "That sounds like a good idea." Plus, I don't think he'd take no for an answer anyway.

"Good! I'm glad you can see the value of healthy relationships between students. Please head toward the dining hall immediately, I will see you there momentarily. I must now inform the others of this meeting." As he left, I decided I might as well get a move on to the dining hall. I've always been a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I really could use something to eat right now. As I got to the dining hall, I saw Yasuhiro and Makoto already there, both enjoying cups of coffee. Aoi was sitting across from them.

"Ah, Junko," Aoi said. "Good morning to you."

"Good morning, guys," I say. Yasuhiro nods. Walking into the kitchen, I make myself a cup of coffee, and get a couple of bagels.

"So you are also a coffee drinker, then?" Aoi asks as I sit down.

"Sure," I say. "I normally go for tea myself, but seeing those two drink it made me want a cup of my own."

"How do you normally take your coffee when you drink it?" Yasuhiro asks.

"Milk and sugar."

"Can't say I'm surprised," he says. "I normally take mine as an espresso with a bit of sugar myself. What about you, Makoto?"

"...Lots of cream and sugar."

"What?" I ask. "Wouldn't a soldier normally take it black or something?"

"Black coffee tastes disgusting," he says. I guess you really can't judge a book by it's cover.

"Do you not drink coffee, Aoi?" I ask.

"Oh, I do, but it's bad karma to drink coffee when you're under stress. Speaking of which, may I see your coffee for a moment?"

"Um… Okay?" That's a bit of a weird question to ask, but I don't think it could hurt. I hand her the cup, hoping she doesn't decide to drink it. I haven't even had it yet because I thought it was too hot. I hand her the cup and she stares at it intently.

"What? You four are the only ones here?" I turn to see Mondo entering the the room. "I told everyone to come to the dining hall immediately!" He sighed. "People today do not value punctuality as much as they should. I should go back and make sure they arrive…"

"No, that's okay," I say. "I'm sure they all have their own business to take care of."

"...Fine. I suppose I can excuse their tardiness, as it is the first meeting." He took a seat by us as Aoi handed me back my coffee.

"According to my reading, you will fall to tragedy if you work yourself up too much," she said.

"Reading?" I ask. "You… read my coffee?" Aoi nodded.

"Yes, indeed. It was as clear as a crisp, spring morning. It would behoove you to watch yourself today."

"Fortune telling must be pretty amazing if you can read the future from coffee," Mondo says.

"Would you like a reading, too?" Aoi asks.

"No, that's quite all right."

"What's this about a reading?" Leon asks, walking into the dining hall. Chihiro and Taka followed behind him.

"Miss Asahina was kindly offering to read my fortune."

"Oh, cool!" Taka said, sitting down. "I want one!"

"Hm… I suppose I could…" Aoi said. "For you… only a modest fee of $350,000."

"...I don't have that kind of money."

"Your loss," she replied.

"Do you often charge that much?" Leon asked, taking a seat. Chihiro walked past us into the kitchen, not saying anything.

"Little dude must be hungry," Taka said.

"Me too," Makoto said, abruptly going to the kitchen.

"...Man, that Makoto is kind of weird," Leon said.

"Hey, that's not very nice," I say.

"I didn't mean anything bad by it. What was his talent again? Soldier, right? I bet he's been through some tough shit."

"Well, why don't you ask him?" Yasuhiro said as Makoto and Chihiro sat down, food in tow.

"...Nah, that's okay," Leon said. I guess he was kind of… intimidated by him? I guess I would be to. I certainly don't want to get on the bad side of someone called the Ultimate Soldier. We sat there and chatted idly as the others slowly found their way into the dining hall, each getting a little something for breakfast while they were at it. After about an hour had passed, everyone was in the room, including Mukuro and Byakuya.

"Now that everyone is here, I officially call our first meeting to order!" Mondo proclaimed.

"First meeting?" Hifumi asked. "Does this mean this is going to be a common occurrence?" Mondo nodded.

"You mean you got us all up this early for a fucking meeting? And you expect us to do this regularly?" Sakura asked.

"Of course," Mondo replied. "It is my duty to ensure that we, as students, form healthy and strong relationships with one another in order to avoid needless conflict that may arise due to us being uncomfortable around one another."

"You can't be serious…" Byakuya said. Mukuro audibly scoffed.

"I think it's a good idea," Sayaka said. "I mean, if we all get to know each other, then there's less of a chance that any of us will want to kill anyone."

"That's a good point," Celeste said. "If we all can get along with each other, then-"

"Then we'll have to spend the rest of our lives here," Mukuro interrupted. "That may seem fine and good to you all, but I for one have neither a plan nor a desire to spend the rest of my days in this facility." She rose from her seat and walked to the door. "If you all want to pretend like you're doing each other a favor by 'getting to know each other', then do it on your own terms. I refuse to spend more time here than absolutely necessary." And, without another word, she left.

"Damn, she pisses me off," Sakura said after a brief pause.

"But she does have a point," Byakuya retorted. "If we don't play by that bear's rules, we really are gonna have to live here forever."

"And is that really that huge of a problem?" Out of nowhere, we all suddenly found Monokuma standing on the table we were all sitting at.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Taka exclaimed.

"He dropped down from a hole in the ceiling," Makoto explained.

"If you all really don't plan on killing each other, then you will just have to learn to accept this place as your new home. Hopefully that won't be too hard for you all."

"You can't honestly keep us all here forever!" Toko exclaimed.

"Upupu… Of course I can!" Monokuma giggled. "If you really have a problem with it, then I guess you all can just kill somebody and then be on your merry way!" We all glared at him. "Oh, I get it," he said, sullenly. "I know what you're all thinking. You're all strapped for ideas on how to actually go through with it!"

"I'm pretty sure that's not what we were thinking at all," Chihiro said.

"Well don't worry," Monokuma continued, his regular demeanor returning. "Because I am such a gracious headmaster, I have already given everyone a head start! You see, in all the rooms, I've given each of you a set of materials you can use to bring about someone's demise. You see, in all of the guys' rooms, I put in a tool kit, filled with all manner of items to bludgeon and bash the person of your choosing. And for all of the ladies, I gave each of you a sewing kit, so feel free to poke someone's eye out, or stab 'em right in the neck! Personally, I reccomend doing it in someone's room since they're all soundproof. Ah, I can imagine it already…" Monokuma suddenly began to sweat profusely. "One of you young people, acting upon your base desires, sends a note to someone and slips it under their door. You tell them to come into your room so you can, ahem, 'do the deed'..."

"Ew!" Toko squealed.

"Indeed!" Mondo agreed. "Talking of such matters is not welcome in a school environment!"

"Well, it doesn't matter to me what you all do in your own rooms anyway," Monokuma said, reverting back to his regular appearance. "Good luck to you all! Don't keep me waiting…" In the blink of an eye, he vanished just as quickly as he appeared.

"That bear is a very bad omen," Aoi said. "He completely threw off my aura. I need to go meditate," she said, hastily excusing herself.

"Man, fuck this," Sakura said. "I'm going back to bed."

"Yeah, me too." Leon agreed. Everyone sort of excused themselves after that. Not one to go against the crowd, I ended up back in my own room, too. Left alone with just my thoughts again, I sat down on my bed. My mind ended up wondering about what the others were doing. You know, the more that I think about it, what Mondo said earlier really resonated with me. If we can all wind up getting along with one another, then there's less of a chance that one of us would kill someone else. It's just like what Sayaka said yesterday… strength in numbers and all. But… if no one gets killed, then we would have to stay here….

"No…" I say to no one in particular. "It doesn't matter what Monokuma says! I'm sure that if we all work together, then everything will somehow work itself out!" Yeah…no matter what happens, I'm sure we'll all find some way out of here if we put all our strength together! All of these ultimate students should be able to pull something out! With all of their combined effort, anything should be possible! But… then that leaves little old me, not being of much help… No, I can't afford to think like that. So what if I don't have much in the way of talent, unlike everyone else? If I start getting all downtrodden, then everything truly will be hopeless. I'm not sure I can do much, but I'll start with what I can do! If we're gonna make it out of here safe and sound, then we're gonna have to work together. What Monokuma said earlier… "He's just trying to scare us into not trusting each other!" Yeah, that has to be his tactic.

"Okay, I've decided!" I say aloud. "I'm gonna try my best to bring us together… and the first step is to get to know everyone."


End file.
